$80m worth of illicit drugs allegedly caught at Sydney and Melbourne airports within 24 hours
There has been three separate busts at Australian airports within 24 hours amid a rise in alleged drug mules attempting to smuggle illicit substances into the country.
More than 100kg of methamphetamine and cocaine – with a street value of about $80 million – is alleged to have been found in passengers’ luggage in three separate busts at Australian airports within 24 hours.
It comes amid an increase in alleged drug mules attempting to import illicit substances through our airports in recent months, according to Australian Federal Police.
A 20-year-old and 33-year-old from the UK were detained at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday after 26kg of cocaine was allegedly detected in a suitcase. They had arrived from Mexico.
Australian Border Force (ABF) said officers located 12 blocks of a white substance wrapped in carbon paper inside one of their suitcases, and initial testing allegedly returned a positive result for cocaine.
The 33-year-old woman was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The same day at Sydney Airport, a 38-year-old man had his bags searched and officers allegedly located about 25 packages, each with 1kg of white powder. ABF said preliminary testing returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
The UK-Northern Ireland dual national, who had travelled into Australia from Thailand, was also charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Only the day before at Sydney Airport officers allegedly detected 52 packages labelled as Chinese tea, each containing about 1kg of a white substance. ABF said presumptive testing indicated a positive result for methamphetamine.
A 21-year NSW woman and 23-year-old New Zealand woman, who had flown from Singapore, were both charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug.
Graeme Campbell, ABF’s acting commander of travel, said the four arrests meant “an immense amount of illicit drugs” had been stopped from filtering through to Australian streets.
AFP Superintendent Morgen Blunden assured the public that law enforcement were “closely tracking the rise in drug mules”.
“If 77kg of methamphetamine and 26kg of cocaine had reached our streets, it had the potential to facilitate more than 900,000 individual street deals,” he said in a statement.
“This amount of drugs had a combined estimated street value of more than $80 million and could cause tens of millions of dollars in harm to the Australian community.
“These arrests should send a strong warning to drug couriers attempting to smuggle illicit drugs into Australia – no matter how you try to move your drugs, the AFP, together with our colleagues at ABF, will be waiting for you.”
For free and confidential advice about alcohol and other drug treatment services, you can call the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015. Free 24/7 drug and alcohol counselling is available online at www.counsellingonline.org.au. For information about drug and alcohol addiction treatment or support, go to www.turningpoint.org.au.
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